Category: Beer Reviews

This past weekend, I had a unique opportunity. A friend of mine had the chance to buy a bottle of the 10th Anniversary Samuel Adams Utopias. Before the beer is complete, it undergoes quite a bit of a process; in addition to the standard beer ingredients there are also several sugars added (i.e. maple syrup). There is then a long fermentation time, utilizing several yeast strains, finishing with champagne yeast since it can handle the higher alcohol content. After it is done fermenting, it clocks in at a whopping 29% ABV. It is then aged in casks that previously held bourbon, rum, tawny port and ruby port.

All of this equals a very complex beer. There were three of us who tried it, and each of us has different experiences. One tasted a smoky maple flavor, another tasted a sweet vanilla and maple flavor. For some reason, I tasted a bit of banana flavor, with a lot of strong vanilla hints. It was very alcoholic, reminded me of a whiskey, and burned all the way into the stomach. It was definitely not for the faint of heart, but for a beer lover like myself, it was great.

For spring, Samuel Adams this year decided to go back to the Brewers’ Choice mix pack instead of again releasing the “American Originals” spring pack. The beers in this year’s spring mix pack show a few big changes, most notably Noble Pils is now a full-time beer, and no longer the spring seasonal.

In the pack, there are 2 bottles each of:

Boston Lager (Chosen by Jim Koch)

Irish Red (Chosen by Bob Cannon)

Black Lager (Chosen by Grant Wood)

Alpine Spring (Chosen by David Grinnell)

Mighty Oak Ale (Chosen by Andrew Lamont)

Whitewater IPA (Chosen by Dean Gianocostas)

It is a large change in a seasonal pack, where the only overlap is the Boston Lager and Irish Red. New to the pack is the new spring seasonal, Alpine Spring, which is a light, crisp lemon-like brew. Also in the pack, which is available in six-packs is the Whitewater IPA, which is a cross between a witbier and an IPA, similar to Boulevard’s Collaboration #2, the White IPA. Finally, the pack is rounded out by the Mighty Oak Ale, which is a carmel-flavored amber ale with vanilla and oak notes.

Have you tried the Brewers’ Choice Spring Variety Pack? What did you think? Which ones did you like? Which ones didn’t you like?

Samuel Adams has once again announced the arrival of winter with the release of this year’s Winter Classics Variety Pack.

In the pack, there are 2 bottles each of:

Boston Lager

Holiday Porter

Black and Brew Coffee Stout

Chocolate Bock

Winter Lager

Old Fezziwig Ale

Again this year, Samuel Adams has kept the spices low to ensure drinkable, non-cloying beers. Chocolate Bock is back, and I hope it’s only a matter of time before they make it available in 6/12-packs. This year’s addition to the mix pack is the Black and Brew Coffee Stout, which replaces White Ale in the pack. I had my first experience with Samuel Adams’ coffee stout several years ago (2008) when it went up against the Blackberry Witbier in the Beer Lover’s Choice where, sadly, it lost, even though it received my vote.

Have you tried the Winter Classics Variety Pack for 2011? Which ones in the pack do you like? Which ones don’t you like?

New Belgium has introduced several new beers to the Lips of Faith series. One you may remember I mentioned tasting at the Iowa City Brewfest was a sour brown ale, Clutch. I had the chance to try it in a more controlled environment over the weekend.

With the first taste, Clutch has a nice roasted chocolate and coffee flavor, and leaves a slightly sour, not over-the-top, taste in the back of your tongue. The finish also has a slight coffee flavor. I thought it was a great beer that’s very drinkable, and reminds me of New Belgium’s 1554 with slight sourness.

I had a chance to sample the Boulevard Smokestack Collaboration #2 – White IPA, a collaboration with the Deschutes Brewery in Oregon, over the weekend and I found it to be a great beer. Imagine a Belgian style wit beer with more hop bitterness.

At first sip, it definitely tasted like a witbier, with nice spicy fruitiness. As the beer hits the back of your tongue, it goes into more of the piney, herbal, stronger American hop flavor. The hop-forward flavor wasn’t overpowering, and balanced out nicely with the witbier spice and citrus notes.

Overall, I loved how the White IPA started like a wit but then finished with a nice and firm, but not overpowering, hop bitterness. It was a very good beer, and I hope this collaboration sticks around or happens again. It’s great to see breweries pushing styles out of the way to make a great beer.